New-York tribune., 1887-04-24

This rail, like tho Objectionable ono shown above
va. devised by Mayor Hewitt and first made by his
firm. Ho laid yesterday: When the first grants
were made ~ the Sixthave and tho Eghth-ave. rail
road companies my firm in the railroad iron bus-
meas q limo OF trade which have long snce aban
doned The charters OF tho roads specially required
grooved other rail approV by the Street Commis
scn.r and was requested to devise one OF that kind
I did 90. and Cooper. Hewitt Go. manufactured
them Tho groove arranged that tho outer
edges OF the rail hush with tho pavemcat and the
groove itself was intended to allow carriage wheels to
travel therein without obstruction year later tho
Second and Thhi-avc. lines chartered, and they
also used the grooved rail. In oil grants Tor many
years tho kind OF rail to be used was dependent upon
inc approval CT the Stree: Commissioner. the Common
Council or both For don't know how many years
no other rail was used except the groOyed The COM
panies soon found however, that their tracks wcfo
being out very tast and they applied 10 me 10
deyise one that would them tho expense OF keep
inc tho grooved rail level with the street did so,
aud 1t tho shape OF the present centre-bearing
psts:n nov in general use IL was not sroosed ran
yenient use OF vehicles tver devised Dt course as .
manufacturer ready to turn out IRON In Whatever
shape my customers desired II, but had oeon IN pup
lie Office with any power In tho matter should never
have allowed the rail 10 20 used at ALL don under
stand how in tho world thoy ever got such thing
approved" ., u -. :.
That 10 iel ai conundrum which cannot under
take to NV best Judgment is tnut tho OIL
can compel tho uso oil = proper rail- vi course IL
might aud probably would mean fight In the courts,
but have no doubt that they would sustain what
most evident right of the people Our streets are get
ting In desperate condition, aud the worst OF II
that there s no use either TO compel the companies 10
repair them or to do 30 ourselves, tor few months oil
travo will mako them just bad as ever. Tho use oi
this edge rail certainly contrary to tho in'onton OF
| tho law. | have addressed tho Board OF Railroad
| Co umssioners on this subject, telling them pretty
| much lust what have told you. th,nk they could
do a good deal to stir up the matter and remedy It
they chose Certainly II the otty has not now tho
legal power to control the railroads In such natter
| thoy should Immediately be given the power shall
| do oil can in the matter. you may rolv on tnatF
The Mayor has already done what he could TO carry
| out this pledge Ho had q bill prepared providing
that no moro edge rails should DO laid and that every
company should annually lit twenty per cent OF al,
tho edge rails in its until they are all gone ma
supply thoir places with approved grooved ranA hla
| bill was introduced In the Assembly Dy MI. onoa
was iavoraby reported b. the Railroad committee
and fhrn was killed in the House Deacon hichnru-
| son lobbed diligently against It, adding anotner
weight To the burden OF unpopuarty IN TINS oitv anu
Brooklyn which he so Justly enJoys Assempiy iy'nan
Shea aged to get tho vote by whch the oui was
beaten reoonsidered, and II now stands III tLas shape
Final ection upon II has not yet oeeh t1kon ous
Assistant Corporation Counsel SCOTT says that the
cards are stacked against it." II the neHt vote Is
beaten the people OF New-York aud Brooklyn VIII
look at tho names recorded against II with suspicious
interest
The railroad mpanies have sought TO DO away WIN
some OF the com plant against them Dy using noio
recently track like this: